John Hart USAhttp://www.johnhartusa.com
Chip Management SystemsWed, 08 Oct 2014 03:58:11 +0000en-UShourly1John Hart USA stars at IMTS 2014http://www.johnhartusa.com/news/john-hart-usa-stars-imts-2014/
http://www.johnhartusa.com/news/john-hart-usa-stars-imts-2014/#commentsTue, 07 Oct 2014 01:47:41 +0000http://www.johnhartusa.com/?p=3181IMTS 2014 was held in the first week of September in Chicago this year and...

]]>IMTS 2014 was held in the first week of September in Chicago this year and was considered to be one of the busiest shows of all time. Visitor numbers were at near record levels and the quality and outlook for visitors was very positive.

It is clear for all to see that US manufacturing is once again on the rise.

In response to growing demand, John Hart USA presented their largest and most comprehensive booth ever with 1,200 sq ft of visitor space. Under the banner of Chip Management Systems, visitors were able to see to the Command series of Briquetters, the Erdwich range of shredders, the Siebec range of coolant filtration systems as well as briquette samples from multiple materials and the new large capacity chip hopper box system.

It was clear during the show that local manufacturers have increased their interest in Chip Management Systems as a result of their greater understanding of the costs associated with scrap chips as well as the benefits of incorporating a Chip Management System into their facility.

Attendees learned that recycling their chips into a briquette could not only attract higher prices for their scrap, but also allowed them to recover lost coolants or oils for reuse within their manufacturing facility. Add to this a much cleaner factory environment and reduced scrap transportation costs and the justifications are clear.

As manufacturers continue to invest and grow it is clear that the costs and environmental issues associated with handling scrap materials are real and need to be managed. John Hart USA is a company focused on bringing the right solutions to help companies take control of these issues and create a new income stream for the organization.

]]>Our ground-breaking range of metal chip briquetters featured at the recent Advanced Manufacturing Technology Show (AMTS), last weekend in Dayton, Ohio.

With over 8,000 visitors through the doors over the two day period, this was significant event for the manufacturing industry. We maintained a prominent display in conjunction with our resellers, Numerequip Inc., and become one of the talking points of the show through our display of briquetting technology and variety of materials on show with their accompanying briquette.

Briquetting has achieved increased exposure in recent years throughout the manufacturing industry, due its benefits, which demonstrate both financial and environmental gains.

John Hart USA’s National Sales Manager, Tom Moehlman, was on hand at the show to discuss the vast possibilities that become available with a briquetting system in place. The machine developed substantial interest, and resulted in the creation of strong leads.

]]>http://www.johnhartusa.com/news/john-hart-usa-makes-positive-waves-amts-ohio/feed/0Production Engineering leads the way with John Hart USA Command serieshttp://www.johnhartusa.com/case-studies/production-engineering-leads-way-john-hart-usa-command-series/
http://www.johnhartusa.com/case-studies/production-engineering-leads-way-john-hart-usa-command-series/#commentsMon, 21 Oct 2013 00:52:19 +0000http://www.johnhartusa.com/?p=2892Production Engineering Corporation was established in 1957 as a contract manufacturer in Minneapolis, MN. Over...

]]>Production Engineering Corporation was established in 1957 as a contract manufacturer in Minneapolis, MN. Over the last fifty years, Production Engineering has grown and developed to service a variety of markets including Aerospace, Defense, Electronics, Communications and Off Highway equipment.

In support of this growth, they have in this time been able to expand their technical capability to offer customers services in Computer Aided Design, machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, painting, assembly and a full quality control system all housed in their 66,000 square foot facility.

Averaging over 10,000 pounds of aluminum chips per month, Production Engineering identified that their scrap chips were causing problems. They had an overall lack of control of their scrap metal, potential environmental issues, lost factory space, additional freight cost, lost coolant, and unrealized value in their scrap metal. Clint Emmert, Vice President of Manufacturing noted “In the past we would fill up a chip bin once a day and we were charged $100.00 for pickup. We had no idea of the chip weight amount and we felt we received less money for the chips compared to today’s standards.”

There was also one unexpected issue identified by Mr. Emmert, “Theft was occurring; we caught two women in our outdoor chip bin the weekend before Christmas shoveling aluminum chips into pillow cases to take home and sell to the local recycler for money to purchase Christmas presents. We believed this had been going for a long time, but had no way of proving it.”

To resolve these issues, Production Engineering evaluated their options and decided to invest in a chip briquetting system. Their goal was to take back control of their scrap metal issues and create long term advantages for the business.

The advantages of briquetting were clear, they could take their scrap metal directly to the briquetter and save space while still keeping the briquettes indoors. They could also reclaim lost coolants while increasing the value of the material and improving their working environment.

Production Engineering also wanted to ensure they were getting a fair price for their chips and wanted to ensure that when the metal left the facility, they had accurate tonnage weights for their briquetted metal. In addition, to ensure maximum return from their recycler, their briquettes had to have a moisture content of less than 3%.

To achieve these requirements, Production Engineering chose a Command P series briquetter from John Hart USA. Since installation their machine has consistently handled their briquette output and moisture content targets. The machine which is manufactured in Minnesota is state of art. It features heavy duty, reliable and efficient performance, with a simple to use control system and a range of automatic functions to ensure maximum uptime.

Even though the Command series machines comes standard with an automatic briquette output counter, Production Engineering went the next step and added a scale system in front of the machine to weigh their briquettes prior to shipping. Every shipment Production Engineering’s recycler sends them an email detailing the tonnage received for each shipment. Mr. Emmert commented on how close the recorded weights matched the recycler’s data each shipment.

Looking at some other key areas in focus:

Coolant recovery: Production Engineering reclaims a large amount of coolant during the briquetting process. Hoppers at their machines collect the chips from the conveyors and excess coolant is collected from each hopper before the chips are dumped into the Command P-Series. Mr. Emmert commented that “the Command Series machine from John Hart USA doesn’t change the physical properties of the coolant like some briquetting machines on the market today. This is a very important benefit, being able to reclaim and recycle our coolant, further reducing our coolant cost each year.”

Space saving: Mr. Emmert noted that “The machine itself doesn’t look like a piece of agricultural equipment, it’s a nice clean, self-contained, good looking piece of highly engineered equipment. In addition the full machine enclosure significantly reduces operating noise, you can stand right next the machine while it’s running and be able to speak in a normal tone – carry on a normal conversation. This allowed us to locate the machine in our warehouse, which is very quiet area of the factory.”

Reliability: Looking at machine reliability, Mr. Emmert noted “Installation, Service, and Training have been a key to the success of the program. Reliability of the machine has been outstanding; we’re very pleased with products and services received from John Hart USA, located in Centerville, MN.”

The Command Series machine from John Hart USA has helped keep Production Engineering’s shop clean, quiet, and organized, while enabling them to reclaim their trapped coolant, increase revenue on scrap metal chips, and reducing shipping costs. Additionally, by internally processing their chips and coolant, Production Engineering are able to reduce their EPA exposure.

]]>http://www.johnhartusa.com/case-studies/production-engineering-leads-way-john-hart-usa-command-series/feed/0It is all about the detail – An interview with Lead Engineer – Gavin Lycett-Kinghttp://www.johnhartusa.com/news/it-is-all-about-the-detail-an-interview-with-lead-engineer-gavin-lycett-king/
http://www.johnhartusa.com/news/it-is-all-about-the-detail-an-interview-with-lead-engineer-gavin-lycett-king/#commentsMon, 30 Sep 2013 02:09:49 +0000http://www.johnhartusa.com/?p=2860Today we are talking with Lead Engineer – Chip Management Systems for John Hart USA,...

]]>Today we are talking with Lead Engineer – Chip Management Systems for John Hart USA, Gavin Lycett-King.

Gavin is responsible for the engineering and design of the highly regarded Command series range of biquetters. A highly dedicated and skilled Engineer by trade, Gavin has many years’ experience in mechanical design and has been at the center of the development of the Command series of briquetters.

Gavin took some time out of his hectic schedule to sit down with us to explain the philosophy behind the machines.

A: When we first sat down some years ago and set about designing the Command P and G series of briquetters we had some overall goals:

We wanted to design and build heavy duty machines that offer customers years of productive operation through unparalleled reliability and capability.

The machines needed to be capable of handling a variety of difficult materials simply and efficiently.

We wanted to offer the latest technology, with a range of smart functions to ensure the machines provide instant operation feedback, ensuring maximum machine uptime.

We wanted as much commonality between machine components as possible, ensuring the machines were as easy to service and repair as possible.

The machines had to be well designed to fit onto a compact single machine base, ensuring a very efficient footprint.

The machines had to have a professional look.

Q: What is the process you take to design briquetters?

A: We brought together a design team from within the organization with a variety of skills and experiences, including engineers with 20+ years’ briquetting experience, mechanical and electrical technicians. We wanted to look at the design from all angles to ensure we designed the best possible machine for our customers.

As the design process progressed, we held group design progress meetings, created targeted focus groups to evaluate specific new technologies and performed high precision Finite Element Analysis. The process was there to ensure that as much up front thinking was done to minimize the number of post design machine modifications and to speed up the machine prove out process.

Once this was complete, we built the first machines and went through the process of testing the machines to ensure they were ready for release to the market.

Q: What are some of the key features in the design?

A: When you look at the machine from the inside there are many key things which are not immediately apparent. The key components for example, are modular with the compaction chamber, central compression shaft and end die / end gate all easily removed and replaced. There are also range of sensors in the machine which constantly monitor machine performance to ensure maximum production uptime.

The internal components have all been specifically designed to handle the harsh operating requirements of processing metals. The compaction chamber for example, has been designed specifically for heavy duty, long term performance. You only need to see the weight of the unit to understand how much engineering has gone into ensuring its’ capability and longevity.

Q: I understand your machine controller has already established itself as a market leader, please explain?

A: The Command series features the revolutionary CommandWare software control system. This control utilizes a simple to use touch screen which provides the operator with instant operation feedback and allows process changes to be made simply and quickly. New machine operators are able to have the machine up and running in a matter of minutes.

The system features several innovative functions including the Automatic Jam Detection System (AJDS), which is designed to ensure the machine isn’t damaged when a rogue solid finds its’ way into the auger system. Material Compensation System (MCS) is a system which allows the operator to automatically change input materials without having to make any manual adjustments to machine feed rates. This ensures consistent briquette size across all material types.

Q: John Hart USA is also involved in full turnkey Chip Management Systems, please explain?

A: As a supplier of Chip Management Systems, we sit down with our customers and work with them to solve the issues being caused by their scrap chips. In many cases, a fully integrated turnkey solution is required to help solve their problems.

A: The process of striving for the best solutions for our customers is absolutely at the core of everything we do. We are continually looking at ways of improving our designs and creating new technologies to help our customers.

As for what is next in store next for customers, you will just have to wait and see!

]]>Amongst the fanfare of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France, Boeing and Alcoa announced a program to significantly increase the recycling of internal aluminum aerospace alloys used during the production of Boeing airplanes.

“This program will maximize the value of aluminum scrap materials throughout the supply chain while reducing waste,” said Leslie Shuman, Director of Supply Chain for Alcoa’s Aerospace, Transportation and Industrial Rolled Products.

Included in the recycling program will be series 2XXX and 7XXX aluminum alloys, which are used in the production of wing and fuselage components. Approximately 8 million pounds of aluminum is expected to be recycled annually.

The new program will also allow for future expansion, to capture scrap from Boeing sub-contractors, and eventually to include additional aluminum scrap forms, including chips that remain after the machining of parts.

This is great news for the world of manufacturing, and is fantastic to see such a large company making a concerted effort to reduce their waste and the environmental impact of their operations.

Contact our team, to find out how your business can increase aluminum recycling and reduce waste.

]]>EMO Hannover rolls around again on September 16, showcasing the latest in worldwide manufacturing technology.

Erdwich will be there in force, demonstrating some of the most advanced shredding technology available, at their stand (Hall 7, Booth C47).

Their stand will feature the M600/1TSZS-600 with double ejection flap, for reliable discharge of extraneous material, for greater process safety and efficiency and the new ERDWICH drum-chip-shredder, which provides efficient operation and machine layout.

Erdwich designs and develops cutting edge, shredding equipment, giving machine shops an effective way to manage their excess chips, left over from the machining process.

]]>http://www.johnhartusa.com/news/erdwich-emo-hannover-2013/feed/0Coolant Recovery – G serieshttp://www.johnhartusa.com/case-studies/coolant-recovery-g-series/
http://www.johnhartusa.com/case-studies/coolant-recovery-g-series/#commentsSun, 01 Sep 2013 23:35:05 +0000http://www.johnhartusa.com/?p=2836Coolant recovery is one of the often overlooked benefits of briquetting. During the machining process,...

]]>Coolant recovery is one of the often overlooked benefits of briquetting. During the machining process, coolant will become trapped within metal chips, and as a result coolant will be removed along with it.

Briquetting allows coolant to be recovered and recycled back into a machine tool, which not only provides savings through reduced coolant purchases, but also has the added benefit of reducing wastage, and decreasing the environmental impact of doing business.

]]>http://www.johnhartusa.com/case-studies/coolant-recovery-g-series/feed/0Customers are treated to “all access” at V8 Supercars Austin 400 Serieshttp://www.johnhartusa.com/news/customers-are-treated-to-all-access-at-v8-supercars-austin-400-series/
http://www.johnhartusa.com/news/customers-are-treated-to-all-access-at-v8-supercars-austin-400-series/#commentsMon, 08 Jul 2013 01:58:28 +0000http://www.johnhartusa.com/?p=2783In June 2013, the Australian V8 Supercar series made its successful debut at the Austin...

]]>In June 2013, the Australian V8 Supercar series made its successful debut at the Austin 400 held at the Circuit of the Americas, in Texas. The V8 Supercars is Australia’s premier motorsport series, drawing crowds of up 250,000 people in Australia and moving to the USA market is the logical next step in its’ evolution.

The Austin event took place over a Saturday and Sunday, with an excellent turnout for their debut. The event garnered a healthy dose of interest from local spectators and media outlets who were keen to report on the Australian motorsport invasion.

The cars themselves are based on Holden (GM)*, Ford, Nissan and Mercedes Benz 5.0 Litre V8 engines which achieve top speeds of 185 mph and greater. Common chassis design and stringent component control ensure the competition is as much about team engineering as driver capability.

John Hart USA, (owned by the Australian based, John Hart Group), is a Technology Partner of the Holden Racing Team (GM factory team) which is the largest racing team in the V8 supercar series. As the series came to town we were able to offer a group of local customers the opportunity of lifetime, see the racing at this famous circuit all access – up close and personal. The John Hart USA group were able to walk the grid before the races, visit the pits and talk to the drivers and race engineers throughout the competition. On the Saturday during the event, a private dinner was held with a group and senior race team personnel including their head racing engineer.

This is not the first time the V8 Supercar series has travelled across international waters, with the series having raced on several F-1 tracks throughout the Middle East and China.

Overall the Austin 400 was an excellent first event and is only an indication of things to come.

John Hart USA are proud of over 10 years association with such a successful race team and look forward to taking another group of customers to the event next year.

]]>It’s a fact that every machine shop needs to manage scrap metal chips to some degree, and when they accumulate in large volumes, the problem becomes where to store them. In the metal processing industry, there are often mountains of very long, spiral or sharp-edged shavings and chips. These are collected in containers which are sold as scrap to be recycled.

Consider a company with 70 metal lathes in operation, and a central shredder to handle the steady stream of stringy metal chips. Six to seven times a day machine operators would need to leave their core business tasks to transport chip containers to the shredder. This means that in addition to an operator’s regular work, they are pushing chip containers around, resulting in a loss of revenue.

Chip management becomes an unavoidable job when utilizing a centralized shredder setup, alternatively if a localized shredder setup is used, in which shredders are attached directly to the lathes, the volume of chips can be reduced by up to 92 percent. This setup not only removes the need for metal chip storage, but also reduces the amount of residual oil and lubricants in the chips, considerably increasing their value when sold on as scrap.

With certain chip types, there is risk of CNC machine damage if the chip bin becomes too full and the machine chip conveyor begins to draw chips back inside the machine. The costly consequence of this is a standstill that could last several hours while the chip backlog and machine is reset.

It also removes any risk of operator’s hand compacting chips in the bins, which operators have a tendency to do as they try to create more room, which can cause cuts and lacerations to hands and arm as they push down into the bin.

Even in a narrow space, there is still room for compact shredders

Erdwich’s most powerful locally attached compact shredder can process up to 300kg of chips per hour. Using a cutter, which can have one, two, or three spindles, depending on the model and application scenario, collects the chippings and cuts them down until the desired size is reached.

It then falls through the sieve positioned beneath the shredder into the container. These machines are very compact and can be installed in restrictive environments. The cutting blades in the single-spindle cutters employ overcut, which means that the material in the cutter is distributed evenly and stringy chips are unable to wind themselves around the cutting rotor.

Shredding is highly effective in removing oil and lubricant residue from chips

Chip shredding increases operational safety, since oil and emulsions often stick to the shavings, liquid residues can occasionally drip onto the floor creating a slippery surface. This can be a significant hazard to workers. However, after passing through the Erdwich shredders, the material is suitable for further processing. For example, a centrifuge can be positioned after the shredder, which can be used to clean the metal chips. This not only means that they are more attractive to chip-scrap dealers but the absence of oil means that the truck transportation no longer constitutes a potential environmental hazard. The cost-intensive coolants and lubricants obtained from the centrifuge can be reprocessed and reused – another area in which businesses can save money.

With the introduction of a non-centralized shredder setup, workers can concentrate on profit generating activities rather than sharing their focus with chip management, saving time and money, making the business more profit in the long run.

]]>John Hart USA briquetters were a hit at the recent IMTEX Exhibition in Bangalore. Marking their official launch into the Indian market on the HEI stand, the John Hart USA Command G6 briquetter together with an interactive chip and briquette display created strong interest from customers throughout the country.

HEI who have been leaders in supplying the Indian market with innovative manufacturing technology for almost 70 years are the official representatives of John Hart USA products in India.

Speaking with John Hart USA President Nicholas Rehfisch he commented, “we were overwhelmed by the response our machines received at the IMTEX show. We look forward to developing in this growing market as we strive to help customers achieve the benefits offered by state of the art chip handling systems”.

The Command series launch at IMTEX 2013 represents the next step in the development of the Command series into the world market.